Assemblyman Curt Hagman to introduce bill on prevailing wages for final cleanup workers

Assemblyman Curt Hagman plans to introduce a bill that would create a new group subclassification and pay levels for final cleanup workers on public works projects.

There is already a classification for final cleanup and janitorial work the northern region of California, with the prevailing wage being about $12 an hour.

There is no janitorial work or final cleanup classification on construction sites in the southern region, where the prevailing rate is about $45 an hour.

The prevailing wage is the basic hourly rate paid on public works projects -- such as schools, police stations and other government buildings -- to workers engaged in a particular craft, classification or type of work, according to the state Department of Industrial Relations website.

"I don't mind prevailing wage, as long as it's the right job with the right category," said Hagman, R-Chino Hills.

"These are public dollars, and we want people to make a decent wage that is competitive. But the way it is now, it's being taking advantage of because of the classification of the work."

Final cleanup on public work construction projects is done within a week of occupancy. The work includes power washing surfaces, sweeping and mopping floors, wiping down fixtures and surfaces, cleaning interior and exterior glass, window and mirrored surfaces, hosing down the roof, building and site areas and cleaning all completed interior and exterior building surfaces that are visible after final construction, according to Hagman's proposed bill.

"Because the southern region doesn't have a separate classification for final cleanup laborers, government projects will cost more to be done because we're paying people for things that they're not doing...," said Mike Spence, spokesman for Hagman.

Hagman's bill, which is still in draft form, would require the state director of the Department of Industrial Relations to establish a new specific group classification for final cleanup laborers and set prevailing wages accordingly.

"This will affect school construction or any government construction project, whereas if you were to bid it as a business you would get a much lower rate," Spence said.

"But because of the prevailing wage, tax dollars are being artificially inflated to pay for things that the private sector doesn't pay for."

Hagman said some companies pay employees to perform the final cleanup or janitorial work at $12 an hour or a lower wage, then pocket the difference.

"On the books it looks like everyone is making a ton of money, but the actual worker is not getting the benefits they should receive," he said.

A fair wage and classification for final cleanup work is all Kassandra Wade of Koll Janitorial of West Covina is asking for.

"It's not right, I'm just trying to make a living. I'm a a small business owner and all we do is cleaning, dusting and vacuuming and we keep running into these problems," said Wade, Koll's director of operations.

Wade doesn't agree with paying $45 an hour to perform any type of janitorial work. She suggests up to $15 an hour.

Moreover, she said, if any janitorial company is caught accepting less than what is mandated they are fined, immediately taken off that job and forced to pay the next company who does finish the job the whole prevailing wage rate.

"All we want to do is make a living, be safe doing it and not be in fear of being sued or a contractor coming back on us and acting surprised," Wade said.

The earliest Hagman's bill can be introduced into the Assembly will be Monday when the Legislature resumes session.